Six years later, with one astounding Super Bowl victory under his belt and four consecutive playoff appearances on his resume, Manning is an established, marquee player.

Now he’s one of the richest and most secure.

It comes as no surprise that Manning and the Giants yesterday put the finishing touches on a mammoth contract extension that makes him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL.

Manning agreed to a six-year, $97.5 million contract extension — with $35 million guaranteed — that doesn’t even include the $9.4 million he was scheduled to make this season.

He’s signed through 2015 and his $15.3 million per year average tops big brother Peyton’s $14.17 million annual average. Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha’s three-year, $45.3 million deal was the highest annual average until Eli passed him.

GM Jerry Reese yesterday morning cautioned that nothing was signed and thus nothing was official. But the deal was in place as Manning walked into the team cafeteria for brunch during a light day at training camp, with meetings but no practice and, for Manning, plenty of dollar signs.

“He’s a franchise quarterback,” Reese said. “He’s done everything we ask him to do. He’s come in, he takes a lot of flack from [the media] and he just keeps going. He’s a good football player.”

This good player got a king’s ransom. Manning — the eighth quarterback to break into the $100 million club — was part of the three-headed quarterback class of 2004 that included Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger. In March of 2008, Roethlisberger signed an eight-year, $102 million contract with the Steelers that included $33.2 million in guaranteed money and $25.2 million as a signing bonus. The Chargers are hopeful of extending Rivers.

Roethlisberger responded to the mega-money by winning his second Super Bowl.

Operating without a new deal could have played on the mind of even the most mentally tough athlete but the Giants were not worried at all that this might have adversely affected Manning.

“Not at all,” Reese said. “Just like everything, he’s unflappable. That’s one of the things when we scouted him, he was unflappable on the field. He gets criticized for that sometimes, some people say he doesn’t have a pulse but I like it, myself, when your quarterback can stay in the middle, when he doesn’t get too high or doesn’t get too low, he just stays on task.”

Those who work closest with Manning saw no signs the contract situation was anywhere on his radar screen.

“In that area he’s as unbothered and unaffected as anybody could be,” offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said. “Human nature says you’re going to be influenced a little bit, but I just don’t see him being deleteriously affected, I really don’t. He’s just a different guy.”

Thus far in camp Manning looks about like he always does. Calm, unaffected, at times star-like on the field, more often competent and steady. His statistics do not indicate greatness but he wins games, has one championship and his team is convinced there’s more to come.

“We expect Eli’s game to continue to ascend,” Reese said. “We don’t expect him to be a one-Super Bowl quarterback.”